The quarters of Paris, districts of Paris - About-France.com The quarters of Paris The different Quarters, or districts, of Paris About-Paris guide ► Jump to: Paris by area - a short guide The districts of Paris Like any big city, Paris is not a homogenous block of urban development; an ancient city, dating back to before Roman times, it is a city that has grown organically over the centuries, to the point that it has reached today, a city with an intra-muros population of 2 million inhabitants, an urban/suburban area of 6 million, and a metropolitan area of close to 10 million inhabitants. Knowing where the "arondissements" or districts are is useful for knowing where to go or stay; knowing what the areas of Paris are like is useful for knowing what to expect when you get there..... Paris Trade fairs and conventions. Paris has three main exhibition centres for trade fairs: at the Porte de Versailles, at la Villette, and at Villepinte, close to Charles de Gaulle airport. The Paris Convention Center is the Palais des Congrès, at the Porte Maillot, in the 17th.

Paris intra-muros "Paris", in the strict sense of the term, is an area covering 10,539 hectares or 105.39 sq. km, corresponding to the "departement" of the Seine (75), the smallest in France in terms of size. This area is almost exactly delimited by the route of the Paris inner ring road, or "Boulevard Périphérique", which circles the city. Within this area, Paris is divided administratively into 20 urban boroughs, called arondissements, conveniently known by their numbers, rather than historic names. Parisians know the numbers, and often use them to refer to parts of the city; yet the historic areas of Paris also have names, some of them well-known, other less. Here therefore is a short guide to the main "Quarters" of Paris ► Paris by area .... the different parts of Paris La Cité - the city: Part of the 1st District (premier arondissement); La Cité is one of the the islands in the middle of the Seine, and is the historic heart of Paris.

L'Ile de la Cité is today home to a number of historic monuments and administrative buildings, including Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Sainte Chapelle. Next to l'Ile de la Cité is the Ile Saint Louis, another very old quarter, which is more residential, with shops, restaurants and small hotels. Louvre / Champs Elysées 1st to 8th arondissements. The Champs Elysées bisect this quarter from south-east to north-west. This quarter includes the Louvre and the Tuileries, the Place de la Concorde, the Champs Elysées, the Place de l'Etoile and the Arc de Triomphe, as well as several other museums including the Orangerie, the Grand Palais and Petit Palais Les Grands Boulevards - the district of the Grand Boulevards (2nd and 3rd Arondissements, and 8th to the 11th). Running more or less from the Place de la Madeleine (8th arondissement) to the Place de la Bastille (11th arondissement), this is the main shopping area of central Paris.

The heart of the shopping area is the Boulevard Haussmann, near the Opéra (RER Auber, Metro Opéra), with some of the biggest department stores. Le Quartier Latin The Latin Quarter - Covering part of the 6th arondissement, and also part of the 5th, this is the traditional student quarter of Paris, centered on the Sorbonne and the Panthéon. The narrow pedestrian streets are full of cafés and restaurants, and the busy boulevards, particularly the Boulevard Saint Michel, known as the Boul'Mich, have bookshops, cinemas and other shops. Le Marais The 4th Arondissement. This district, lying on the north bank of the Seine, has become a chic residential area; it is a district of narrow streets, with a lot of attractive historic buildings, and has become particularly popular since the opening of the modern art museum and library at the Pompidou Centre . Le Septième - Quartier des Invalides. This district on the south bank of the Seine is largely administrative and residential.

It contains, among other things, the Eiffel Tower , the Hotel des Invalides, the French National Assembly (parliament building), the residence of the Prime Minister (Hôtel Matignon), and the Musée d'Orsay. Pigalle / Montmartre The 9th and 18th arondissement. Pigalle is the night-life district of Paris, famous for its clubs, cabarets and bars. It is also known as the red light district of Paris. Among the world famous cabaret bars are the Folies Bergère and the Moulin Rouge, popular tourist attractions. It borders on Montmartre, the hill on which sits the famous Sacré Coeur church, and the so-called artists quarter of Paris, today rather commercial. 18th to 20th arondissements: essentially ordinary residential areas, among the less expensive parts of the city. The Cité des Sciences de la Villette, the Paris science museum, is located in the 19th on the site of former industrial premises. Le Seizième The sixteenth arondissement: over in the west of Paris, this is the chic residential area of the Paris west end, where housing is most expensive.

A large number of foreign embassies are situated here. Beyond the ring road (boulevard péphérique) lies Paris's biggest and most famous park, the Bois de Boulogne. Chinatown, le Treizième Paris has a large Chinese and south-east Asian population, which is concentrated in the 13th district, around the Place d'Italie. This area has lot of oriental restaurants - Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodgian, and more, plus exotic shops and commerces. Quartier de la Bastille. The area round the Place de la Bastille (4e, 11e, 12e) is a popular bustling area of Paris; it is an area with lots of shops, including all kinds of specialist shops which have set up in this part of town which is cheaper than the other end of the Grands Boulevards. This is also a chic cultural area, with the new Paris Opera, and chic boutiques. La Défense Strictly lying outside Paris, la Défense, in the north west of the city, is the modern business district.

La Défense lies at the edge of the city, following the line of the Champs Elysées, beyond the 16e / 17e arondissements. Hiring a Velib bicycle. The cheap way to get round Paris.... if you take care! In all quarters of Paris, approximately every 300 yards in all directions, visitors to the city cannot help noticing bicycle racks, full of identical bicycles. This is Paris's successful "Velib" bike-hire scheme, which - if used correctly - can prove an excellent and cheap way to get around the capital. You can hire a Velib bike for just one Euro a day, if you use the system properly: on the other hand, if you do not use the system as it is intended (for short hires only), it can work out very expensive. To hire a Velib, you need a chip-and-pin credit card. On hire, you will be charged a 150 € deposit, which may well not be recredited to your card for another two weeks. A day's use of the system costs just 1 €, which includes as many half-hour hire periods as you want, during the day.

These first half hour periods are always free, and you can have as many free "first" half hours as you want in a single day. After that, rates rise steeply to reach 4 € per extra half hour. So while you could use a Velib for all your needs for just a single Euro per day, you could find yourself billed over 80 €, which is far more than a hire car! If this is not clear, read the two examples opposite. Examples How to use the velib system for 1€ a day: John and Mary both hire Velib bikes at 8.30 a.m from near their hotel, and set off independently for a day's visiting Paris. John does not find out how the system works, so takes his bike and spends the whole day cycling round the city. Each time he stops, he locks the bike, but never returns it to a Velib rack, not even when he goes for lunch in a restaurant. He brings the bike back to where he first hired it at 9.30 p.m. He has thus had a single hire of 13 hours Cost, a whopping 96 Euros !! (Some might call this a scam!).

Mary, on the other hand, uses the system as it is designed to be used; for short trips only. She picks up her Velib bike at 8.30, rides to the Eiffel Tower (20 mins) and immediately returns the bike to a Velib rack by the tower. At 11.05 she takes another bike, crosses the Seine to the Arc de Triomphe, and returns the bike to another rack at 11.31, after 26 minutes. During the day, she takes a bike seven times, but always returns it in less than 30 minutes to a different rack. She never keeps a bike when not on the saddle. She returns to the hotel at 9.30 p.m. Total day's hire: 7 hires of less than 30 minutes each: Cost, just 1 €uro. Excellent value for money! To contact About-France.com, use the form provided. Copyright notice: Website photos and text © About-France.com 2003 - 2017 except where otherwise indicated. Like any big city, Paris is divided into districts or boroughs, known in Paris as arondissements.

The system is quite simple; but many quarters, or parts of Paris, are also known by historic names referring to quarters such as the Latin quarter. Knowing what quarter lies where in Paris is a vital first step in getting to know the city. Map of France The Eiffel Tower And apart from Paris..... There's so much more to France than just Paris. Discover other regions of France with the About-France.com guide to the regions of France . A short guide to each region, with details of main regional tourist attractions, principal places worth visiting, and other regional information. ►► Site guide The old artists quarter - Montmartre, Paris Traveller Reviews - TripAdvisor “The old artists quarter” Reviewed 2 September 2011 As the high point of Paris at 130 metres or so, Montmartre has it attractions and interests by long association with struggling artists but it is also a bit of touristic cliche. The street artists today are not that gifted generally but it all adds to the colour and in a sense, continues the tradition. Apart from the narrow streets and lanes and houses where famous artists and others once lived, there is a vineyard which produces rather awful wine.

The steps of Rue Foyatier and others are also very Montmartre, a fitness fanatic's dream, as well as being popular themes in the rather awful contemporary art produced there. Renoir and Degas are long gone and their talent has gone with them! The most interesting part is the cemetery where there are many now obscure people buried but others of great and lingering fame as well: Degas; Dumas; Nijinsky; Offenbach; Madame Recamier; Emile Zola and also the German writer, Heinrich Heine who is also honored by a statue. Sacre Coeur has a certain interest as well by virtue of its location and sheer dominance at the high point of Paris, but as a building, it is not one of the great edifices of Paris, looking like a giant and over-dressed wedding cake. Still, Montmartre will always be over-run with tourists. Many of the streets running back towards Rue des Abbesses and Rue Le Pic have some interesting shops and of course there is Boulevard de Clichy and Pigalle, which is an interesting shopping precinct, gradually moving upwards in the social scale.

Much of the old seediness is going, being replaced gradually by a new chic look and shops to match. Go visit but do so, not expecting too much beyond the overtly touristic. Visited June 2011 “Montmartre - small village, big contrasts” Reviewed 2 September 2011 Montmartre divides opinion - some Trip Advisor reviews rave about it, others hate it. I guess it depends on expectations, and whether you venture away from the tourist traps of the Place du Tertre and the steps of Sacre Coeur. In Place du Tertre on a Saturday afternoon, portrait artists swarm like paparazzi, eager to capture your likeness in charcoal. We didn't find them too pushy - a simple 'non, merci' is enough. If you walk round the back of Sacre-Coeur, the crowds disappear, the nick-nack shops thin out, and you can enjoy the picturesque streets in peace. There is a tiny vineyard, some bijou appartments, elegant villas and the famous Lapin Agile cafe-bar, which features in so many Utrillo paintings.

The Moulin de la Galette (as painted by Picasso, Renoir and Van Gogh) is on the top of the hill, to the west of Sacre Coeur. We stayed in rue Theloze, a small street off the rue Abbesses. This is a great area with lots of nice bars and restaurants, walking distance from Abbesses metro and Amelie's cafe des 2 Moulins on rue Lepic. There is a small cinema on rue Theloze, which shows films in their original language. If you are visiting Montmartre for the day, take the metro to Abbesses - it has one of the few remaining Guimard metro entrances and is opposite an interesting Art Nouveau church. All the sights are within walking distance from here (no need to take the tacky tourist train up to the top of the hill!) Further down the hill is the seedier side of Montmartre - sex shops line Boulevard de Clichy from Blanche metro station to Pigalle. My children wanted to see the Moulin Rouge, so we walked round the corner from rue Lepic and took some nice pictures of the windmill on a sunny morning.

Around the rue des Trois Freres there are quirky shops and some reasonably priced restaurants. The creperie at number 15 rue des Trois Freres was particularly good. After dinner, walk up the hill to see the Sacre Coeur by night - it is beautifully illuminated and you get a great view of the Eiffel Tower from up there. Even the Place du Tertre seems less tacky after dark. Overall, we loved Montmartre - it was the best place I've ever stayed in eight visits to Paris. The seedy bits and the touristy parts are easily avoided, so don't be put off. Visited August 2011 Artists quarter - Review of Montmartre, Paris, France - TripAdvisor Review of Montmartre Paris City Tour by Minivan and Montmartre See more tours on Viator More attraction details Attraction details Owner description: Located in the 18th Arrondissement, this elevated rural neighborhood on the outskirts of the city has a collection of upscale shops and cafés and still exudes hints of old village charm.

There are newer reviews for this attraction “Artists quarter” Reviewed June 10, 2015 One of the most romantic places in Paris where the artists and other easy living people are gathering. Here you can feel the positive and relaxing atmosphere as a real contrast to the other touristy Paris attractions. Visited June 2015 11,492 reviews from our community Visitor rating “Paris at its finest” Reviewed June 10, 2015 My wife and I visited the Montmarte on our anniversary and it did not disappoint. We are already looking forward to going back. Visited September 2014 This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Nancy C Reviewed June 10, 2015 via mobile We were urged by our friends to visit the Basilica de Sacrere on top of the hill at Montmare,and we found the walk up to the basilica very charming for the streets were lined with little shops and there were beautiful houses along the way. It had a village atmosphere and Paris must have been like that in the olden days.

In the square there were lots of cafes and artists around it, painting and selling; giving the whole place an atmosphere of what Paris must have been - the ultimate destination for budding artists! On top of Montmartre we got an overview of the city. It was a bonus for us to experience a farmers' market just next to the basilica. The farmers from the province of Perigon came to display and sell their specialities like jam, fruits, rose oil, escargot, wine, foie gras etc. We had a lovely day at Montmarte. Visited June 2015 Explore the ?artist's Montmartre?: studios, cabarets, bistros Discover the loveliest vineyard in Paris Enjoy the most spectacular view across Paris from the Sacré Coeur Visit popular movie locations from theFrench film "Amélie" WHAT TO EXPECT Still undoubtedly, authentically Parisian, there are hidden parts of Montmartre that remain unchanged for generations. But to truly find these rare gems, you have to know where to go. Your local, expert guide is just the person to take you on a tour of the area’s little-known nooks and crannies.

Away from the crowd, beyond the throngs of tourists who only know Montmartre for its main attraction: the Sacré Coeur, sitting high atop the hill. Follow your guide to the Montmartre of Picasso, Modigliani and Utrillo, where these famous artists lived and were inspired, whether through drink, dance, decadence or debauchery. See the places where priceless works of art were exchanged for meager food and art supplies by these beginning “starving artists” – not yet knowing how profound their work would be and what an indelible mark their paint strokes would leave on the art world. Walk upon cobble-stone streets and through quiet squares as your guide, truly passionate about Paris and art history, entertains you with stories of the past. Take pictures before the two famous remaining windmills of the Moulin de la Galette and the Moulin Rouge. Then pass by the tiny cabarets and iconic restaurants which undoubtedly inspired an artist or two, in turn capturing them forever on canvas. See the famous artists’ square, and the Sacré Coeur – dominating the hilltop and standing vividly against the bright blue sky.

Stand in awe, here, before the most incredible sweeping view of the city, a breathtaking site worth the visit alone. Then see various locations where the hit 2001 movie Amélie was filmed, including the café where the beloved character of Amelie Poulain worked. See why Montmartre is known as home to the most beautiful vineyard in Paris, the Clos Montmartre, where wine has been made for centuries (and continues to be - in the local town hall!) This is a picturesque corner of French countryside within one of the city’s most interesting and historic quarters. Read more Groups of 25 or fewer Headsets where appropriate so you can always hear your guide Read more The old artists quarter - Review of Montmartre, Paris, France - TripAdvisor “The old artists quarter” Reviewed September 2, 2011 As the high point of Paris at 130 metres or so, Montmartre has it attractions and interests by long association with struggling artists but it is also a bit of touristic cliche. The street artists today are not that gifted generally but it all adds to the colour and in a sense, continues the tradition.

Apart from the narrow streets and lanes and houses where famous artists and others once lived, there is a vineyard which produces rather awful wine. The steps of Rue Foyatier and others are also very Montmartre, a fitness fanatic's dream, as well as being popular themes in the rather awful contemporary art produced there. Renoir and Degas are long gone and their talent has gone with them! The most interesting part is the cemetery where there are many now obscure people buried but others of great and lingering fame as well: Degas; Dumas; Nijinsky; Offenbach; Madame Recamier; Emile Zola and also the German writer, Heinrich Heine who is also honored by a statue. Sacre Coeur has a certain interest as well by virtue of its location and sheer dominance at the high point of Paris, but as a building, it is not one of the great edifices of Paris, looking like a giant and over-dressed wedding cake. Still, Montmartre will always be over-run with tourists.

Many of the streets running back towards Rue des Abbesses and Rue Le Pic have some interesting shops and of course there is Boulevard de Clichy and Pigalle, which is an interesting shopping precinct, gradually moving upwards in the social scale. Much of the old seediness is going, being replaced gradually by a new chic look and shops to match. Go visit but do so, not expecting too much beyond the overtly touristic. Visited June 2011 “Montmartre - small village, big contrasts” Reviewed September 2, 2011 Montmartre divides opinion - some Trip Advisor reviews rave about it, others hate it. I guess it depends on expectations, and whether you venture away from the tourist traps of the Place du Tertre and the steps of Sacre Coeur. In Place du Tertre on a Saturday afternoon, portrait artists swarm like paparazzi, eager to capture your likeness in charcoal. We didn't find them too pushy - a simple 'non, merci' is enough. If you walk round the back of Sacre-Coeur, the crowds disappear, the nick-nack shops thin out, and you can enjoy the picturesque streets in peace.

There is a tiny vineyard, some bijou appartments, elegant villas and the famous Lapin Agile cafe-bar, which features in so many Utrillo paintings. The Moulin de la Galette (as painted by Picasso, Renoir and Van Gogh) is on the top of the hill, to the west of Sacre Coeur. We stayed in rue Theloze, a small street off the rue Abbesses. This is a great area with lots of nice bars and restaurants, walking distance from Abbesses metro and Amelie's cafe des 2 Moulins on rue Lepic. There is a small cinema on rue Theloze, which shows films in their original language. If you are visiting Montmartre for the day, take the metro to Abbesses - it has one of the few remaining Guimard metro entrances and is opposite an interesting Art Nouveau church. All the sights are within walking distance from here (no need to take the tacky tourist train up to the top of the hill!) Further down the hill is the seedier side of Montmartre - sex shops line Boulevard de Clichy from Blanche metro station to Pigalle.

My children wanted to see the Moulin Rouge, so we walked round the corner from rue Lepic and took some nice pictures of the windmill on a sunny morning. Around the rue des Trois Freres there are quirky shops and some reasonably priced restaurants. The creperie at number 15 rue des Trois Freres was particularly good. After dinner, walk up the hill to see the Sacre Coeur by night - it is beautifully illuminated and you get a great view of the Eiffel Tower from up there. Even the Place du Tertre seems less tacky after dark. Overall, we loved Montmartre - it was the best place I've ever stayed in eight visits to Paris. The seedy bits and the touristy parts are easily avoided, so don't be put off. Visited August 2011 A Paris Guide: A Walk Through Montmartre Turkey Montmartre Montmartre is talked about by Parisians the way New Yorkers talk about the Village: It's not what it used to be, It's like Disneyland, the artists can't afford to live here anymore,too many tourists etc.

There is some truth these opinions, but there are two ways of approaching this incredibly unique village within the metropolis. The first is to follow the herd instinct and stampede your way up the famous hill, take a picture of yourself on the steps of the basilica, buy an overpriced crepe at the Place du Tertre, get conned into having your portrait sketched, and walk back down clutching newly bought key-rings, postcards, gaudy T-shirts feeling a little mystified about what all the fuss is about. The second method is to keep a map in your pocket (just in case) and try to lose yourself in the steep and cobbled streets of one of the most historic and interesting neighborhoods in Paris. Remember that the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur (the big white church) sits on the crest of the hill, so as long as you are heading uphill there is little possibility of being lost for long. At the bottom of the hill is the Boulevard de Clichy which is lined with bars, kebab shops, and more sex shops and peep-shows than you can possibly pretend you are not looking at.

If you think of a triangle, consider the base of it to be the section of Blvd. de Clichy and Blvd. de Rochechouart between the metro stations Blanche and Anvers. The tip of the triangle would be the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur. The area between these three points is roughly the area of interest. You can begin your walk at any point along the base of the hill, or take the metro to Abbesses station and step out into the heart of Montmartre. Because all the great poets have told us the journey is more important than the destination, I recommend you start at metro Blanche (Moulin Rouge) or metro Anvers and gradually enter the "village". This will make it feel more like a pilgrimage toward the place that nurtured most of the great artists and writers living in France this past century. If you are handicapped do not be deterred. While cobblestone streets and steps of Montmartre present a problem, there is a small white "mini-train" which looks like a kids ride but will drive up the hill and wind through the narrow alleys giving you a very good sense of the neighborhood without the hassle of struggling with crutches or a wheelchair.

This is also recommended for families with children. The little bus can trick the children into thinking they are having a good time, and can be used as a justification for the agony they will endure at the table of another long dinner at a restaurant later. For those of you who are fit and able, over age 9, and childless, sitting in this train while you could be walking is an embarrassment you must reflect upon in the deep recesses of your soul. If you are a straight male in this category, you lose any chance you might have had with a French women if you are sighted riding. Exiting the Anvers metro station you will notice a marked change in the environment if you are used to the left bank scene. The crowd here is edgier and faster, neon signs flash, pimps lean in doorways, sex shops sell everything you had never thought of and countless nationalities mix on the crowded sidewalks. While Montmarte is gentrified and somewhat "sanitized" these days, the neighboring areas are certainly not. Barbes-Rochechouart to the east can be a little rough at night, so don't go wandering there alone with your camera and guidebooks at night.

In the daytime it is a wonderful place to buy anything from socks to television in massive budget shops such as Tatti for household supplies, and Darty for electronics. The streets are also lined with stalls selling towels, underwear, sheets, linens, etc. for ridiculously cheap prices. If you are an arriving poor student in Paris and need supplies, go there! Just watch your wallet--- the bustling street market is a great place to have it lifted. Just across the street you will notice a beautiful building falling into decay--- the Elysees Montmartre Theatre. It is said to be the oldest can-can dance theatre in Paris, and is obviously underrated and overshadowed because of the famous Moulin Rouge at the other end of the street. You will notice throngs of people in the little Rue de Steinkerque. Follow them. The street has recently been infected by T-shirt shops and trinket peddlers, but the two Sympa stores with big red signs are an excellent place to find cheap clothing, sometimes brand names that are either irregular or just fell off the back of some truck. Arrive early on Saturday morning and you will be amazed to see trucks pull up and dump enormous cardboard boxes onto the sidewalk.

Then the workers run out with boxcutters, split the tape seals, and literally dump piles of jeans or sweaters made by Naff Naff or Bennetton or Esprit onto huge wooden sidewalk bins. Now the ladies lined up on the opposite sidewalk like Olympic sprinters jump the gun and swarm the piles. The sight alone is remarkable. Elbows fly, hands spin through sweaters, banknotes appear and disappear, clothes sail over shoulders, arms grow heavy under mountains of cloth--- it's like watching seagulls on a shrimp boat. It's western civilization at its finest! On this street you will also find interesting fabric stores as well as Columbia Coffee, one of the rare take-out coffee shops in Paris for those hardcore New Yorkers who need their fix on the go. I actually appreciate the concept of "to-go" coffee, as do others who don't have three hours to spare in a steamy window with a cafï¿½ au lait) See the coffee link for more on the art of ordering and getting what you want. Back on the Rue de Steinkerque, walk until the street ends at Place St. Pierre. Facing you are the grassy and terraced gardens leading you to the basilica.

The gardens were once gypsum quarries, hence the odd design. With the brightly lit merry go round churning out its nostalgic tunes and the imposing church white against the sky, it's time to take the obligatory photos no one will look at. If you are hungry, grab a crepe or sandwich from the stand on your left, or the pleasant cafï¿½ with the best view of the gardens and basilica on your right. DETOUR: On the nearby Rue de Ronsard there is an interesting museum (St. Pierre) with local exhibitions, a gift shop and a nice cafï¿½ all set inside an old renovated warehouse. Across the street is the Marche St. Pierre, a multi level fabric store which rivals anything I have ever seen. If you are a designer, a home decorator or simply curious, you MUST visit this incredible business which carries every type of fabric imaginable and holds an entire office for cutting and ordering on every floor. The beauty of it is that it exudes the feel of a shop in the 1950's and not the streamlined order of a modern department store. This is the Mecca for curtain-makers, amateur tailors and seamstresses.

It is also an international import/export house dealing in fabric from all over the world. Go back to the gardens facing the basilica and you will find that to the left and up the hill are the steps and the funicular (a type of elevator/train) which you can ride to the top. The funicular does not carry the stigma of the little white train, so you can use this service and still retain your dignity, but the real traveler will scoff at such modern contrivances and take the steps. The steps are of the classic Montmartre variety--- steep and lined by pretty lampposts and deciduous trees. If it's winter and it happens to be misty, you will feel like you are in a 40's film or a Bresson photograph. *Notice the beautiful apartments you wish were yours facing the incline. At the top, turn right and you will find the 10,000,000 other people who had the same idea you did that morning. Despite the crowds, the view is the most spectacular in Paris.

At night, the view is even more impressive and if you have managed to end up there with a lover, new or old, consider yourself lucky to be at the top of the food chain! Take a bottle of wine and rest assured that no bar in town has such good seating. In the summer there are often street musician who perform at the bottom of the steps, using the architecture as a kind of natural amphitheatre with an already captive audience. If you are a pretty, single girl, chances are you will have to fend off (or accept) the hopeful chatting from eager groups of young north Africans. If you are a single guy, chances are you will be trying to chat up that same single girl on the steps with the notebook and pencil and dreamy look in her eyes. You will have lots of competition, and she, lots of attention. Good luck to both. The Basilica Sacre-Coeur was only built a century ago, an infant by Parisian standards, after the French were embarrassed by a brief but successful occupation by the Germans in 1870. It wasn't yet Hitler, but Bismark's Prussian army. The Germans seem to have a thing for Paris.

The Basilica is based in Roman architecture and took over 40 years to build. (more than it took to build the Parthenon!) From a distance, the stark white domes are powerful and imposing. During WWII, 13 bombs are said to have landed on the church, but without resulting in casualties, which lent the place special status among the local people. For 5 euros you can climb the 80 meter dome and get and even better view of Paris. Another nearby church is even more interesting historically the Church of St. Pierre which is one of the oldest in Paris and even contains some original Roman columns. (they say Dante came here to pray) The name Montmartre was originally Roman meaning "Mount of Mars" but was later changed by less pagan French to "Mount of Martyrs" or Montmartre. Across the street is the Place du Tertre where the legends of 20th century art used to roam. Now it's filled with watercolors, portrait sketchers and caricaturists.

You can't blame them for trying to make some money, and a few are actually good artists who need money, but for the most part it reminds us of that lost generation of artists who lived and worked here before the commercialization of everything. Picasso, Vlamenck, Derain, Soutine, Modigliani, Van Gogh and countless others lived and worked in these narrow streets. Look for wall plaques identifying buildings and cafes as historic. "Hemmingway once peed in our bathroomï¿½" etc. From the square you can wander the packed streets or sit in a cafï¿½ but be warned that the prices are higher and you will most likely be surrounded by tour groups and howling children. It's much better to duck down a side street or go to a cafï¿½ nearer to Abbesses. If you are interested in Dali, you can visit the museum at 11 Rue Poulbot. I haven't actually gone in, but I hear from Dali fans that it is a good exhibition.

In any case, follow the street and if you want to see one of the oldest (1900's) authentic bakeries in Paris take the steps down the rue Norvins to where it intersects rue des Saules. Follow this road downhill and you will begin to enter the most interesting streets of historic Montmarte filled with narrow cobblestone streets and sometimes beautiful private gardens. Now you realize why this was truly considered a village once, set outside the city limits. At that time it was covered with vineyards and gypsum quarries and was a real working class neighborhood to which the artists came for cheap rent and tax free wine. Now the former studios and crumbling apartments have been converted into huge lofts or even houses with private garages, alarms and video surveillance. It seems the destiny of every neighborhood discovered by artists--- once it's pointed out, those with money buy it out. On the nearby rue Cortot (the Maison Rose is a quaint restaurant with a decently priced set menu) turn left and visit the Montmartre Museum. The atmosphere is this old renovated manor house is impressive, along with a beautiful inner garden. Eric Satie the composer lived here at one time, and there is a room dedicated to him inside.

Maurice Utrillo once lived here, as did the famous Greek engraver and painter Demetrius Galanis. When we visited in 2008 there was an exhibition of Jean Marais, the French actor, director, sculptor, painter and all around renaissance man who even did his own stunts. The streets from here on get complicated so I won't lead you through them street by street. Use your map if you must. The Clos Montmartre Vinyard which is just past the Maison Rose restaurant on the way down the hill is closed with the exception of the wine festival on the first Saturday in October. It's hard to imagine, but the vineyard actually still produces a few hundred bottles of wine which are auctioned off during the festival! If you would like to see Renoir's house it's at # 6 Rue de l'Abreuvoir which is also lined with other houses some very fortunate Parisians get to live in. At the bottom of the hill is a beautiful little park where you can watch men playing boules on Sunday, or kids who have been locked up in apartments all week running wild. Unlike NY, there are no dog runs in these parks.

Parisians prefer to let their dogs shit in the middle of the sidewalk so that you can step in it for the real "cultural experience". Curbs filled with running water are for washing your shoe off after this happens. (and it will happen) Another famous cabaret is in this area-the Lapin Agile Cabaret where the usual gang of later wildly famous artists gathered for evenings of entertainment. If you have read much art history it is slightly unreal to find the abstract so suddenly rendered concrete--- names that tremble in glossy books and dissected in a thousand theses were simply extraordinary people who also worked hard with their gifts. The most incredible difference is that the very people shunned by the bourgeoisie at the time are now hanging in the private collections of the same wealthy class. Utrillo the street brawler is now sweating under the bright lights of Galleries and museums. Be sure to visit the famous Bateau Lavoire at #13 Place Emile-Goudeau. Picasso's studio was here and at times Braque and Juan Gris, Modigliani and Apollinaire the poet all lived here. It is without a doubt the most famous art "studio" in the world.

Any biography of any of these artists and poets will give you countless stories of the wild days at Bateau Lavoire. Many of the same artists painted the Moulin de la Galette in various conditions. It is now a restaurant, but in terms of art history, a much more important landmark than the better known Moulin Rouge. These are the only two windmills left on the hill which was once literally covered with them. The Moulin de la Galette in on the Rue Lepic which was a central and crucial street to Montmarte, as it still is. Van Gogh lived at # 54 and if you are lucky a very beautiful woman will serve you dinner at # 61 in the Au Virage Lepic restaurant chez Rino + Maurice.(tel: 01 42 52 46 79) Make reservations because the place is small but the food is excellent and the owners charming. Montmartre Hotels and Food At the intersection with Rue des Abbesses, turn left and walk down the street.

This is a great and historic street that stays open late, is surrounded by good bars and hotels, a metro station, a good newsstand, good restaurants, bread stores and wine shops. If you would like to stay in Montmarte, this is the street to stay near. There is a 2 star Comfort Hotel Place du Tertre as well as the big Hotel Regyns Montmartre with rooms starting at 72 Euros. The Location is magnificent and you are right on the Place des Abbesses with a metro stop on your doorstep and place to pick up Newsweek or The Guardian across the street. Other economical hotels in the heart of Montmartre include the Bonsï¿½jour Montmartre , the Hotel Audron and the pleasantly named My Hotel in France Montmartre at the foot of the hill. If you don't mind spending a little more the The Hotel Terrass is Montmartreï¿½s only 4-star hotel. This grand nineteenth century building with an art deco style interior is found between the Sacrï¿½-Coeur basilica and the Moulin Rouge cabaret.

The best Bistro's for the sake of authenticity are Cafï¿½ le Zazir and La Mouscotte for seafood on the sidewalk. These are on the (even numbers) left side of the street whereas the more packed and trendy cafes are on the right side (odd numbers) Don't miss the incredible wine shop called Caves des Abbesses at #43. You can buy a bottle or taste a few wines with some bread and cheese at one of two rickety tables on the sidewalk. The cast iron support that holds the tattered awning over the shop is a remarkable object in itself. Photograph it and tell the owner to keep it there forever. Across the street from the metro Abbesses (where the great merry go round is) there is a nice bar called Le Barouder. It's on the corner of Rue Yvonne le Tac which will lead you to even more bars and restaurants as well as small design shops, vintage clothing, jewelry, rare music, and more bars and cafes. An interesting restaurant/gallery is to be found on this street--- it's called Le Durer, after the artist, and is hung with similar paintings.

(lets assume they are not original, or they would not be cooking!) The place is candlelit and warm. (tel: 01 42 54 82 14) On the corner when you hit the Rue des Martyres there is a great bar called Le progress, which is funny in itself because the place looks like it hasn't changed since the 50's. Brown cracked walls, enormous ceilings and so much smoke the place could be on fire, will lead to believe you are very very tired of life, very very cynical, all your fame has brought you nothing but unhappiness, so you sit and drink and take note of your own sad brilliance. The grocer from the film Amelie is one block over on the rue de Trois Freres, if that tells you anything about the local vibe. He is now possibly the most famous grocer in Paris, with his own website and CD release!! If you are an Amelie fanatic, I suppose I have to direct you to the cafï¿½ where she workedï¿½.. backtrack to the Rue Lepic and you walk down toward Place Blanche.

It's Called Les Deux Moulins, (the two windmills) and is actually one of the nicest bistro/cafes in the neighborhood. It's always busy and filled with local arsty fartsy types and tourists looking for Amelie. The Cigarette machine from the movie is gone, but the bathroom in which the famous sex scenes took place is still intact. Try to get a window seat, or better yet, a sidewalk seat (weather permitting) and watch the crowds go by. You will be facing a wonderful section of the Rue Lepic that has retained it's market feel from the last century. it was once filled with Gypsum wagons and horsemeat butchers, but now it's mostly seafood, flowers, bread and pastry shops, butchers and delicatessens. In the mornings, the street is full of old Parisians trolling their shopping wagons, poking fish and roast beefs, squeezing tomatoes and heckling the vendors they have known for years.

At the bottom of the hill at Place Blanche (called blanche because the gypsum wagons in the old days dropped the white powder all over the streets) is the Moulin Rouge, made famous by Toulouse Lautrec, and pretty can-can dancers, as well as more recently, Nicole Kidman. Again take your obligatory photos and watch out for the wheeling tour buses that make the place a traffic nightmare. If a girl comes up to you and offers you free drinks in a nearby bar, pretty girls, etc. don't be tempted, you WILL be conned. Near the Moulin Rouge is the known nightclub called "Loco" for those of you who like to stand in endless lines so that a bouncer whose IQ is equal to your shoe size can tell you he doesn't want your money because your shirt looks bad. If you decide to have a beer in one of the many surrounding cafes, do NOT order the BIG beer! You will end up trying to lift a glass barrel to your mouth and will also be the laughing stock of the remaining clientele and wait staff.

The French insist on ordering their beer in thimblefuls of 25cl, which is a half beer to any normal human being, but bite the bullet--- if you ask for a large, you will get a liter and it will cost you about 15 Euros! Before you leave Montmartre you have to go pay your respects to the dead whose former haunts you've been poking around in all day--- they are lying in the Montmartre Cemetery which you can reach by following the Boulevard de Clichy toward Place Clichy and turning right on the Avenue Rachel by the big green Irish bar. The cemetery offers beautiful and calm respite from the rush of the city and it's eerie crumbling tombstones and rusted iron hold out valiantly against the newer tombs of polished granite. You can actually climb around the tombs and look of for lost names or lost relatives. There are maps at the entrances for those who are looking for a specific person. It is not merely a historic cemetery though--- you will see widows clutching flowers, or old men lugging watering cans toward tombs with plants around them.

It's always the old people performing rituals connected with death--- the young couples in the area are all holding hands and kissing under trees, presenting a good reminder of the life cycle. Hector Berlioz's tomb has been renovated and is now a shining edifice of black stone. You will also find Stendhal, Ninjinsky, Emile Zola, Leo Delibes, Edgar Degas, Theophile Gautier, and countless other giants in the arts and sciences. Help Support Matt's Paris Guide Do you enjoy using my site? Have you found it entertaining as well as useful? If so please show your appreciation by booking hotels through the links found on my Hotels Page . The small comission I make on the bookings enable me to keep working and in most cases you won't find them any cheaper by searching elsewhere. You can also book at Booking.com's Paris Page and they give me a small percentage on each booking. Hidden Montmartre Guided Tour Of The Artists Quarter - Paris: Triphobo Tour Details Overview Explore where the most famous artists lived, dined, danced and were inspired as your expert, local English-speaking guide brings the area to life.

See the Sacré Coeur, locations of the hit film Amelie, the most beautiful vineyard in Paris, the windmills of the Moulin Rouge and Moulin de la Galette, and so much more. Read More • Explore Montmartre from the old artist’s perspective. • Feel highly tranquil with the Basilica of the Sacré Coeur. • Experience the seduction of the Moulin Rouge Cabaret. Read More Know More about this tour Still undoubtedly authentically Parisian, there are hidden parts of Montmartre that remain unchanged for generations. But to truly find these rare gems, you have to know where to go. Your local expert-City Wonders guide is just the person to take you on a tour of the area’s little-known nooks and crannies. Away from the crowd, beyond the throngs of tourists who only know Montmartre for its main attraction: the Sacré Coeur, sitting high atop the hill. Follow your guide to the Montmartre of Picasso, Modigliani and Utrillo, where these famous artists lived and were inspired, whether through drink, dance, decadence or debauchery.

See the places where priceless works of art were exchanged for meager food and art supplies by these “starving artists” – not yet knowing how profound their work would be and what an indelible mark their paint strokes would leave on the art world. Duck down narrow alleyways unnoticed by the casual traveler. Walk upon cobble-stone streets and through quiet squares as your guide, truly passionate about Paris and art history, entertains you with stories of the past. Take pictures before the two famous remaining windmills of the Moulin de la Galette and the Moulin Rouge. Then pass by the tiny cabarets and iconic restaurants which undoubtedly inspired an artist or two, in turn capturing them forever on canvas. See the famous artists’ square, and the Sacré Coeur – dominating the hilltop and standing vividly against the bright blue sky. Stand in awe, here, before the most incredible sweeping view of the city, a breathtaking sight worth the visit alone. Then see various locations where the hit 2001 movie Amélie was filmed, including the café where the beloved character of Amelie Poulain worked.

See why Montmartre is known as home to the most beautiful vineyard in Paris, the Clos Montmartre, where wine has been made for centuries (and continues to be - in the local town hall!) This is a picturesque corner of French countryside within one of the city’s most interesting and historic quarters. Your City Wonders guide will not only bring it to life but introduce new and novel details not known by many. Whether this is your first visit or your fiftieth, it’s an experience like no other. Read More

Question: What is the name of the 'Artist's Quarter' in Paris?
Answer: MONMARTRE